Protection for rackwork of ferry-slips.



F. W. BACON.

PROTECTION FOB. RAGKWORK 01 FERRY SLIPS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1910 Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

THE mmms F'E-TERS 60., w'esnmcwn, ILC.

FREDERIC W. BACON, OF ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

PROTECTION FOR. BACKWOBK OF FERRYTSLIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Application filed. July 5, 1910. Serial No. 570,330.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnEDERIo BACON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey,have invented new and useful Improvements in Protection for Rackwork ofFerry-Slips, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for protecting the rack work offerry-slips against the weather in order to increase the life of therack work in question, and consists of a sectional curtain peculiarlyarranged and supported, so that on the one hand, it will not interferewith the varying and irregular movements of the piles, stringers, bufferbeams, etc., which vary under different conditions and at difierenttimes, and on the other hand so that the curtain itself will not bedisplaced, racked, twisted or torn by such movement.

The problem in question is unique and ditlicult. Ferry slips arepeculiar structures which difier from all others. The converging wallsof the slip are necessarily made of wooden piles connected together bystringers to produce a structure strong and firm enough to resist theimpact of the boats, and at the same time having a resilient characterso as to yield sutficiently to such impact. Therefore steel and masonrycannot be employed in similar structures, but the parts must be of wood.As commonly constructed, there is a main row of piling carry ing aSheathing of planks against which the boats strike. Behind the first rowis arranged one, or more, supplementary rows of piling set at suitabledistances from each other. The piles in each row should be connectedtogether by buffer-beams. Spaces should be left between the piles of onerow and the bufi'er-beams of the next to permit the necessary movement.The rows of rear piles are commonly shorter, and sometimes lighter, thanthe front rows, but no unvarying plan can be designed suitable for alllocations, on account of the difierent depths and conditions of thewater, varying at different seasons or hourly as in tide waters, thevariation in the weight and power of the boats, etc. Generally speaking,conditions have gradually become more exacting owing to the demands onthe capacity of ferry lines and the consequent increase in the size ofboats and engines.

The rack-work is expensive to build and maintain and has become almostyearly more expensive owing to the use of larger boats and the increasein the price of lumber. Any means that would increase the life of thestructure, or tend to diminish the required repairs, would be of greatvalue, and many attempts have been made with those ends in view toprotect the rack work from the weather. Large sums have been spent forchemical treatment of the beams and piles without much success;furthermore such treatment diminished the necessary resiliency.Protective planking has been spiked in place, but such coverings haveproved failures for they were racked and torn loose, and, when inposition, interfered with the free and necessary movement of the variousparts of the structure.

After long observation and practical study of the problem on the ground,I have devised a protective means which has proved successful inpractical use for a year and has already proved its great value inprotecting the rack-work. My means of protection consists in a seriesof'frames covered with any suitable water-shedding material, each framebeing supported by a series of flexible hangers connected to the mainpiles at their tops and to the frame below its upper edge. The framesadjacent to their upper edges preferably rest on and are connected tocords applied to the upper ends of the main piles, and below rest oncords spiked to the piles of one of the supplementary rows. I have thusproduced a sectional, protective curtain so supported that it is free tomove with relation to the piles, and freely to permit the variousmovements of the piles, such as the progressive movement produced whenthe boat enters the slip and rubs along the sheathing on the main piles.

In the drawing herewith illustrating my invention the reference numeralsof this description are used to indicate the various parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of a ferry-slip wall showing theform and peculiar arrangement of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan viewwith portions broken away. Fig. 8 shows in plan one of the curtainframes.

In the figures, 1 indicates the piles of the main row connected by thestringers 2, which carry the sheathing 3, and also connected by thebufi'er-beams 5. As shown, 6 is the second row of piles connected by itsbuffer-beams (3; and 8 the third row having bufl'enbeams 9.

15 indicates the frame of my sectional curtain covered with any suitablewater shedding material 16, for instance planking, corrugated iron, etc.The curtain is connected to the main piles and supported on the supplementary piles and might be directly so connected and supported, but Iprefer the particular arrangement shown in which upper and lower cordsare interposed between the curtain and the piles.

17 are hangers secured adjustably by nuts 1.8 (so that the hangers areremovable) to a cord 19 preferably applied to the beveled ends of themain piles so that it cannot pull away. The upper edge of the framerests against this cord. The hangers are connected to the frame atsuitable points 21, some distance below its upper edge, and should beprovided with the flexible portion 20, so as to permit the free movementof the curtain in all directions. The curtain sections rest below, andare free to slide on, the cord 22 bolted to one set of the supplementarypiles.

23 indicates merely the foot-way and 24: a hand rail.

As aforesaid, my peculiar protective curtain has already proved itsvalue in pro tecting the rack-work from injury by the weather,particularly from the alternate effect of rain and the drying andsteaming effect of the sun. Protection against fire is also ofimportance. The curtain sections should not be too long, for, if so,they would be racked by the varying movement of the rack work.

Having described my invention what I claim is,

1. A structure of the character described, consisting of at least twoindependent series of piles, the various series being arranged adjacentand in such relation to each other that a water-shedding curtainconnected to one series will extend over the others, and in combinationtherewith the water-shedding curtain connected to one series and restingon at least one other series and adapted to move with the first seriesindependent of the piles of the various other series.

:2. In a structure of the character described, the combination with atleast two series of piles, the various series being arranged adjacentand in abutting relation, of a water-shedding curtain arranged to coverand protect the various series, said curtain being connected to one ofsaid series and resting on another of said series.

3.1n a structure of the character described, the combination with aplurality of rows of piling, said rows being adjacent, substantiallyparallel and varying in height, of a series of water-shedding curtainssaid curtains being connected to one row and resting on a second row, towhich the curtains are not connected, and being arranged to extend overand protect all the rows of piling.

4. In combination with the rack-work of ferry slips composed of a row ofmain piles and of supplementary rows of shorter piles arranged outsidethe main row and substantiall 1 parallel thereto, the piles of each rowbeing substantially of equal length and the outer row being the shorterand the piles of each row being connected together, but independent ofthe piles of the other rows, said main row having its upper endsinwardly beveled, of cords secured to said beveled ends, a series ofwater-shedding curtains arranged to cover the rack-work each curtainresting on said upper cord and also on a row of supplementary piles anda series of hangers for connecting each curtain to the main piles.

5. In the rack-work of ferry slips composed of a row of main piles andof supplementary rows of shorter piles arranged outside the main row andsubstantially parallel thereto, the piles of each row being substantially of equallength and the outer row being the shorter and the pilesof each row being connected together but independent of the piles of theother rows, said main row having its upper ends inwardly beveled, acontinuous row of upper cords set and secured on the said beveled ends,a row of lower cords secured to the upper ends of the outer and shortestrow of piling, a series of curtains continuously arranged to cover therack-work, each curtain resting at about its upper edge on the uppercord and adjacent to its lower edge on the lower cord and consisting ofa frame and a water-shedding covering on the frame, and a series ofmetallic hangers for connecting each curtain to the main piles, eachhanger being provided with a flexible portion, substantially asdescribed and shown.

6. The combination with the rack-work of ferry slips composed of a rowof main piles and of supplementary rows of shorter piles arrangedoutside the main row and substantially parallel thereto, the piles ofeach row being substantially of equal length and the outer row being theshorter and the piles of each row being connected by bufier-beams andhaving a limited freedom of movement independent of the other rows, saidmain row being provided on its inner face with connecting stringers anda covering of sheathing and having its upper ends inwardly beveled, of acontinuous row of upper cords secured to said beveled portion, a row oflower cords secured to the upper ends of the outer and shortest row ofpiling, a series of curtains continuously arranged to cover therack-work, each curtain resting at about its upper edge on the uppercord and 7 adjacent to its lower edge on the lower cord and consistingof a frame and a watershedding covering on the frame, and a series ofmetallic hangers for connecting each curtain to the main piles, saidhangers being connected to the curtain a uniform distance below itsupper edge and detachably connected to the upper cord by a nut fittingthe hanger upper end, and each hanger being provided with a flexibleportion, substantially as described and shown.

7. The combination with the rack-work for ferry slips consisting of aplurality of rows of piling of different heights, said rows beingadjacent and substantially parallel and the piles of each row beingconnected by buffer beams and the main row being longer and havingsheathing on its inner face, of a series of water shedding curtainsconnected to the upper ends of the piles of the main row by a series offlexible hangers and resting on at least one series of the shorter pilesto move freely on the latter, said curtains being arranged in acontinuous series to protect the rack work from the weather.

8. In a structure of the character described the combination with aplurality of rows of piling, said rows being adjacent and substantiallyparallel and the piles of each row being connected by beams, of a seriesof curtains composed each of a frame and of a water shedding cover, saidcurtains being connected to one row and resting on another row, to whichsecond row they are not connected, and being arranged in a continuousseries to cover and protect the piles and the beams.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERIC W. BACON.

WVitnesses:

J. B. MILLWARD, M. L. BRESLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

